Electrocution is a serious cause of occupational fatality which ranked fifth among occupational fatalities in the United States from 1980 to 1995 with 6,242 electrocution deaths. NIOSH (1999), National Traumatic Occupational Fatalities (unpublished data), Division of Safety Research, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, W. Va. An investigation of 98 occupational electrocution fatalities showed that 54% of the victims were working around an electrical circuit that was not de-energized and 97% of these victims were injured by power lines which were not equipped with ground fault circuit interrupters. NIOSH (1994), Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Database (unpublished data), Division of Safety Research, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, W. Va.
Techniques which have been used to prevent such electrocutions include, for example, de-energizing power lines before working in the area, maintaining appropriate distances from energized lines, and barriers to prevent electrical contact with energized lines. Oftentimes, however, these methods are not practical, not used properly, or are simply ignored by individuals working with or around electrical power lines. Accordingly, there remains a need for an electrical protection system for individuals working with or around power lines which will warn of the potential for electrocution and will, if electrical contact is made with the power line, de-energize the power line to prevent and/or minimize injury due to electrocution. A low cost and reliable electrical injury protection system with (1) an alarm mechanism for warning personnel as to electrocution hazards and (2) an automatic circuit-breaker and/or ground-fault-circuit-interrupter tripping mechanism for minimizing the risk of electrocution would be desirable.